Chinese President Xi Jinping called on efforts to deepen cooperation between countries and international organizations to revive the global economy, as the world suffers sluggish growth amid increasing protectionism.
Xi made the remarks as world leaders and delegates from over 100 countries and organizations gathered in Beijing for the two-day Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.
President Xi Jinping chairs the Leaders' Roundtable Summit at the Belt and Road Forum, May 15, 2017. /CGTN
At the opening speech of the Leaders' Round-table Summit, Xi said he hopes the forum could be a good opportunity to discuss ways of increasing world economic growth and boosting trade and investment.
To resolve problems such as trade and investment sluggishness, conflicts and terrorism, individual countries need to cooperate with each other as well as international organizations, he said.
Xi said geese move in flocks and help each other as a team so they can fly long and safe through winds and storm, drawing the analogy to inter-state cooperation.
He said one of the reasons holding the meeting at the Yanqi Lake is that he hopes both the "belt" and the "road" - consisting of the silk road through central Asia to Europe -and the maritime trade routes - could spread their "wings" like a goose flies in the sky.
Yanqi Lake. /VCG Photo
The Chinese leader also laid out the blueprint of four proposals for diplomatic initiatives:
1: Urge countries to head to the win-win cooperation direction and to reject protectionism.
2. Strengthen the policy coordination mechanism with countries and international organizations such as the European Union and the International Monetary Fund.
3. Promote innovative-driven economic model. Deepening cooperation through infrastructure projects, such as road and railway construction, and broaden financial channels.
4. Promote people-to-people and cultural exchanges.
Before the meeting, Xi greeted leaders from around the world outside the meeting hall, and walked into the meeting room with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Chinese President Xi Jinping walks into the meeting room with his Russian counterpart ahead of the Leaders' Round-table Summit of the Belt and Road Forum, May 15, 2017. /CGTN
Laurence Brahm from Himalayan Consensus, a research institute based in Nepal, said the gesture sends a strong message of the importance of Sino-Russia ties.
The two leaders also held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Belt and Road Forum on Sunday.
Xi hailed the sound development of China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination. He said the two countries are committed to seeking political solutions to the Syrian conflict and the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue and have played the role of "ballast stone" in safeguarding regional and global peace and stability.
The world was stunned on Sunday after Xi told world leaders China will invest 100 billion yuan (14.5 billion US dollars) into the existing Silk Road Fund, and another 380 billion yuan (55.0 billion US dollars) in loans from two policy banks - China Development Bank and the Export-Import Bank of China.
In addition, Xi said China will invest 60 billion yuan (8.6 billion US dollars) in aid to developing countries and international bodies in countries along the new trade routes and encourage financial institutions to expand their overseas yuan fund businesses to the tune of 300 billion yuan (43.4 billion US dollars).
